Performing industrial radiography or replacing old radiography devices can become an expensive endeavor. Local regulations vary from state to state, and even location to location. A new radiography location may not have all safeties and interlocks required for an x-ray system. Also, positioning an x-ray tube to take an image often requires rigging or fixtures that may be expensive.
For example, systems such as the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,734 describe technology related to microfocus x-ray tubes. However, the system of this disclosure is not capable of being relocated and requires integration with an x-ray vault. While some medical x-ray devices may offer portability, these devices are extremely limited in dose energies. Further, many devices configured for medical use are substantially complex, bulky, and limited in maneuverability of an x-ray portion of the device, and therefore not suitable analyzing a variety of objects in an industrial setting.
What is needed, therefore, is a portable industrial radiography device configured to be easily repositioned and readily adaptable for nondestructive testing or examination of an area of interest.